


Love and Libraries

by LottieHolmes



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: M/M, other tags would be spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-07 09:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11056218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieHolmes/pseuds/LottieHolmes
Summary: Ciel is a mind reader trying to survive through university. One day he hears a thought from another student named Sebastian Michaelis that is disconcerting to him. SebastianxCiel





	1. Chapter 1

**Love and Libraries:**

**Chapter 1:**

_Italics denote thoughts._

* * *

 

Ciel turned the page of the reference book he was reading critically. He was listening to classical music through his earphones at the highest volume possible, but he could still hear conversations and noises from the surrounding tables. He should have never tried to read in the university library at peak time.

He was starting to feel a headache developing so he reluctantly removed his earphones and flipped through the book at a faster pace. He needed to find a good reference for his literature review and then he could return to his flat where it was more peaceful. He had exhausted the online library and google books and the last resort had been to find a book in the university library.

Unfortunately removing his earphones meant that he could now read the thoughts of everyone around him.

The students on the neighbouring table were debating on their course social. There was a lot of discourse in their unspoken thoughts.

_Harry Potter cosplay is always an option though. But they'll know I'm a potterhead if I suggest that._

_He'd better not suggest Harry Potter cosplay, potterheads are the most pretentious fandom ever._

_If I get queue jumper tickets will they like me now?_

_I don't want to go..._

_Is five bottles of vodka and a 12 pack of beer enough for predrinks?_

_I'm getting too fat on pasta to fit into my clubbing clothes. Will they notice?_

Ciel knew immediately that they were first years. Everyone stopped caring about things like that once they were overloaded with assignments and assessments. The table on the other side of him were thinking similar thoughts.

Once he went through their thoughts and knew what their thoughts were he was able to tune them out and resume his work. He soon reached a piece of information that he had been looking for so he noted down the page number and all of the information he needed to Harvard reference it.

As he was closing the book a thought jumped out of the blue that was about him.

_That blue haired boy over there is cute. I wonder if he can handle me._

That was something he had never heard before. He needed to find the person so he could know if they were going to be someone he needed to be vary of. He pinpointed the thought to belonging to the male student dressed in black that had just entered the library.

The most alarming thing was that the student was walking steadily towards him. Ciel could see now that his hair was long at the front and he had shining scarlet eyes that were looking right at him. He was dressed in black skinny jeans with a matching black hoodie. Ciel wasn't sure what year he was in, the devotion to matching colours suggested a first year.

The male pulled out the chair opposite him.

"Is this seat free?"

"Yes," Ciel said reluctantly. It was obvious that he was alone so he couldn't lie.

He settled for reading the student's mind instead. His thoughts were unfocused as if he was trying to decide on something.

"So, what year are you in?"

_Does he match my profile?_

"Third," Ciel answered brusquely and was disconcerted by the disappointment in the male's mind.

 _The_ _age_ _isn't_ _right_ _for_ _what_ _I_ _usually_ do _..._

Ciel decided it would be best to expand to further detract the student from doing whatever he had in mind for him.

"Technically I'm in my fourth year, I did a year placement last year. What year are you in?"

"First," was the answer.

_Really it's the third time I've done first year, but there's no need to mention that..._

Somewhat manipulatively Ciel asked a question.

"You look older than all of the first years. Have you done a foundation degree?"

_How the hell did he guess that?_

"I did my course last year at a different university last year. I dropped out because I didn't like it."

Strangely enough Ciel read a different answer in his mind. He was unsure whether or not it was worth dealing with the secretive student.

"Do you come here often?" He asked politely.

_Only to scout for people like you._

"Only when I really need a book for an assignment. Do you come here often?"

The student winked at him and Ciel decided to accept the bait. Honestly he avoided the library as much as possible.

"Quite regularly. I can't work where I live, it's too noisy," he lied.

"You look lonely, do you have any friends on your course?"

_The less friends the better._

That thought was worrying.

"I don't because everyone else was in the year below me. I don't mind though."

_Perfect._

Half an hour later Ciel left the library with Sebastian Michaelis' name and number. He was completely undecided about what to do with the man. He was clearly after something and had a shady past.

He returned to his flat where contrary to what he had told Sebastian, he lived alone. Because he was an Earl he could afford it and it was expensively furnished and actually had a decent internet connection.

He made himself a cup of tea and sat down on the sofa to make an important phone call. His butler picked up after two rings.

"Do you need another care package of cake, young master?"

The prospect of cake was a tempting side-track, but Ciel wanted information more.

"I need you to look into someone for me. His name is Sebastian Michaelis," Ciel told him and spelled out the surname to ensure Tanaka would be able to find the right person.

"Duly noted. How far do I need to go and should I be concerned about why you want to know?" Tanaka asked cautiously.

Ciel's mind flashed back their conversation in the library. For all intents in purposes it seemed that Sebastian Michaelis as interested him. He could just be a player that saw him as another name to cross off, but there seemed to be something strange in his past.

"His thoughts were strange and he was flirting with me. I need to know if he is a danger."

Tanaka was the only person that was aware of his ability. Or rather he was the only living person, his parents had died in an accidental fire a number of years ago. Ciel had inherited everything, but had decided to attend university before leading the family business. One of his relations was currently the Funtom CEO.

His phone call was returned in the evening as Ciel was drinking his after dinner tea. The findings of Tanaka's research were intriguing.

Ciel took out his childhood chess set and set it up on the coffee table. How should he progress with Sebastian Michaelis now that he knew everything?

The answer came quickly.

He was going to beat him at his own game.

* * *

 

Sitting in the student union was one of the most stressful things Ciel had done for months. He avoided public places like the plague because it was hard to concentrate with all of the thoughts around him. He didn't have his earphones in because he needed to know when Sebastian was approaching.

Tanaka had provided him with Sebastian's timetable and he had predicted that Sebastian would spend his next free hour in the student union before his three hour block of lectures.

His prediction turned out to be reassuringly right when he observed a familiar figure enter the room. Ciel averted his eyes to the book he was reading and waited for Sebastian to notice him. It didn't take long.

A pale hand moved his book aside.

"I haven't seen you here before," Sebastian smiled.

_Did he come here to see me? How cute._

"I have a dissertation lecture next and I wanted a drink," Ciel explained.

Sebastian's eyes moved towards his takeaway cup of tea and he looked like he believed him.

_He really must have no friends because he's reading a book in the SU. How sad..._

Inwardly Ciel sighed. Sebastian's thoughts like many others showed how a person's interior can be a polar opposite to what they say out loud.

"I see. Can I sit with you? I've been wanting to see you again."

"Sure," Ciel replied and put his book down.

They discussed university matters for a while and Sebastian's thoughts were normal although occasionally laced with disdain for the university system. Then the conversation took another turn along with his thoughts.

"It's a Wednesday, are you coming out tonight?"

Ciel had been a university student long enough to know what 'out' meant. He had never made it to a nightclub yet, the prospect of hearing people's drunken thoughts in a place with flashing lights and loud music was vomit inducing.

"Um, I don't like going to clubs," he answered with feigned awkwardness.

_How typical for loners._

"My flat is hosting predrinks tonight. You can come along," Sebastian offered.

That would be slightly more bearable and would give him a chance to see Sebastian in his natural territory. He was going to have to dose up on painkillers beforehand though.

"Sure," Ciel smiled. "Where do you live?"

* * *

 

That evening Ciel rang the doorbell of a student house and immediately sanitised his hand due to the dirt and mould on the doorbell. Student houses tended to be rather dirty and this one was no exception. The door was opened by Sebastian who reeked of smoke.

"Hey, Ciel. I'm glad you could make it."

The music in the house was loud enough that it could be heard from the front door and Ciel could feel a headache coming on. He was going to get this over with as soon as possible. He was puzzled when he noticed that he couldn't hear anyone else's thoughts.

"How many people are here?" Ciel asked as he was led into the kitchen.

"Everyone cleared out just before you came. Someone got them special tickets and they all left. I stayed here for you," Sebastian explained.

Ciel read his mind and knew he was telling the truth for once. It was a fortunate coincidence for Ciel. He could observe Sebastian without any distractions. The younger student was wearing black eyeliner and skinny black jeans with a studded belt with a matching red t shirt.

The kitchen itself was filled with bottles and cans of alcohol covering every surface as well as the occasional dirty plate. Ciel hadn't expected anything different.

"Do you have any alcohol preferences?" Sebastian asked. "My flat mate that makes cocktails left so there is limited choice."

Ciel asked for vodka and coke and drank it in small sips. He needed to keep a clear mind. Sebastian kept the conversation casual for a while with anecdotes about his flatmates that Ciel returned with lies about his fictional flatmates.

At around midnight Sebastian upped the stakes. Ciel was feigning tipsiness and appeared to be more relaxed.

_He's such a lightweight... but the time is right._

"Ciel, what do you think of me?" Sebastian asked, leaning in closer to him. "I want to be more than friends."

The mind reader fought back a wave of repulsion and lied.

"I think you have a sexy ass. It's enough to warrant being more than friends."

_Got him now. I knew he liked my ass. It is rather nice._

Sebastian's thoughts took a turn for the narcissistic for a moment.

"I'm going to kiss you now, I hope you're prepared now," Sebastian whispered and gripped his face.

Ciel flushed red and tried not to throw up at Sebastian's alcohol scented breath wafting over him. Their lips met and Ciel prayed that Sebastian wouldn't stick his tongue in. He was lucky, he left with only one lovebite and Sebastian's false sense of security.

* * *

 

**A/N: This is a two shot that I am experimenting with. The next chapter will be uploaded some time next week.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Love and Libraries:**

**Chapter 2:**

Over the next week their relationship flourished. Ciel helped out Sebastian with his assignments in the library, let him kiss him and complimented him regularly. In return Sebastian's thoughts became surprisingly less disdainful and more positive.

_Ciel is pretty cute._

The person in question gave the owner of the thought a searching look. It was strange that Sebastian hadn't tacked an insult on at the end. He couldn't tell if it was the assignment help or the compliments that were changing Sebastian's opinion.

“Ciel, is this reference right?” Sebastian asked.

“No, you need to put the name of the journal in italics, not the article name,” Ciel pointed.

_Where would I be without him? He's better than the rest._

The compliments were beginning to unnerve Ciel. He settled for reviewing an online article on his laptop instead. They were in the study area of the library on a Wednesday afternoon so it was completely dead.

“When can I visit your flat?” Sebastian asked suddenly. “You've seen mine now and we are friends now.”

_Will he sleep with me? He does say my ass is nice. He has to like me like that._

Ciel gritted his teeth in disgust. He knew he was lucky that Sebastian hadn't been thinking it before, but it still wasn't pleasant to hear thoughts like that. However it all benefited his plan.

“My flatmates are going away at the weekend so you can come round on Saturday. What do you want to do?”

_You._

That thought had been predictable. At least it guaranteed that Sebastian would be easily distracted.

* * *

 

Ciel had finished making arrangements and all that was needed was Sebastian. The student turned up at the agreed time promptly and looked surprised by the interior design. Perhaps the chandelier and the piano hinted that it wasn't an average student flat, Ciel reflected. It was too late for that now.

_This place is fancier than I thought._

“Which one is your room?” Sebastian enquired with an innocent tone.

“It's down the hallway. I thought that we could have some tea first,” Ciel told him, already on his way to the kitchen. “I found a new type of tea to try.”

He brought the teacups in on a tray and placed it next to the chess set on the coffee table. The pieces had been set up so that the game had been half played. He passed Sebastian the black rimmed teacup and picked up the white rimmed one himself.

“Can you play chess?” He asked. “I have competitions with my flatmates, but we didn't finish last night.”

Sebastian sipped his tea and his expression cleared.

_This tea is good. I wonder what blend it is._

“The tea is a special blend, it might have an unpleasant aftertaste if you have sensitive taste buds, however it is worth it,” Ciel replied.

“That's interesting. I can play chess, do you want to continue the game?” Sebastian offered.

_If I beat him, I can ask for something._

It didn’t really matter what Sebastian was going to request from him so he agreed.

“We can. You can take the black pieces.”

Sebastian counted the number of pieces and nodded. There were more black pieces on the chess board than white which signified an easy win to him.

“If I win, will you give me something more than a kiss?”

Ciel was very confident that Sebastian was not going to win so he had no problem agreeing. The game progressed like an average chess game with pieces being taken on both sides and Ciel reminding Sebastian to drink the tea so it was worth the money.

After Sebastian took both of Ciel’s knights, Ciel became very talkative.

“Are you interested to hear about my part time job?”

The black haired student looked sharply at him. “I am interested in anything you say.”

_It’s probably boring._

“I work for the crown,” Ciel said as Sebastian took one of his rooks.

“What does that entail?”

“I dispose of the scum that can’t be caught by legal means. It’s very rewarding. I inherited the job from my father.”

“That sounds interesting,” Sebastian commented.

_Did he drink before I got here?_

“Sometimes I choose the targets myself. I found someone suitable this week that deserves to be disposed of.”

_Has the anticipation gone to his head? I'd better win the game quick._

“You can't beat me at this game,” Ciel replied and took Sebastian's remaining knight.

“I can.”

_I think I need to readjust my strategy. He is stranger than I thought. I should go with my original intent._

“I have some information about you from the police and from your previous universities,” Ciel informed him tartly. “I know that you supplied drugs to lonely students that later died of overdoses. You left those other universities because the suspicion was beginning to catch up with you.”

_How the hell does he know about that?_

“The police and university suspected you in all cases, but there was no evidence. You were just casual friends with the victims. It's interesting that you didn't care if the victims were male or female. It makes your motives all the more unclear. I happen to know your motive though.”

_I need to shut him up now._

Ciel held up his hand. “It's okay Sebastian. This matter will not be discussed outside this room.”

_Does he love me enough to think that I can't kill him?_

“I know that you didn't approach me at first because I met your criteria, you were planning to get through first year without killing anyone. You just thought that I was cute, then your thoughts became more murderous after noticing that I met your requirements.”

Sebastian glanced at him in confusion and moved his queen into position.

“Whilst I may have wanted to make you my next victim at first, I stopped after getting to know you better.”

“That is true,” Ciel conceded. “You wanted to sleep with me instead. However, that does not excuse anything that you have done in the past.”

He moved his remaining rook into position so the black king was trapped by his rook and queen.

“It's checkmate. I drugged your tea.”

_What? No wonder it had a strange aftertaste,_

“That's why I said that you can't beat me at chess, you will be unconscious before you have an opportunity to win,” Ciel picked at Sebastian’s king and twirled it. “Don't bother trying to attack me, you should be paralysed right now.”

_I can't move my legs._

Once he had heard that Ciel stood up and towered over Sebastian's paralysed form.

“You've always been unable to beat me because I've known every thought that has passed through your mind in my company. Every odious thought, I heard it. I knew about your type of victim because you thought about classing me as one.”

_I can't see a way out…_

“There is no way out,” Ciel said nastily and enjoyed the panicked look on the murderer’s face. “Your autopsy will say that you died of a drug overdose. I thought it would be poetic justice for you.”

_…fuck… you…_

Ciel watched as Sebastian's eyes became distant and his thoughts faded away.

“That's what you get for thinking you can play with me,” he said and tossed the chess piece at Sebastian's prone form and leaving the room.

Tanaka was waiting outside his flat with a worried look marring his face. He was always concerned about the targets that Ciel had chosen of his own accord.

“Is it done, young master?”

“You can administer the fatal dose. I don't want anything to do with him anymore.”

Ciel didn’t return to the flat until Sebastian’s corpse had been removed. He put away his chess set and sat down with a normal cup of tea. It had been a long week for him and now he had a report to write for the Queen.

In a few days he would probably forget about Sebastian Michaelis. He would just be another name he had struck off.

**The End**

* * *

**Alternate Ending (this is the ending of the wattpad version):**

It was strange to wake up feeling completely free of any concern. Sebastian's body and cause of death had been taken care of and he didn't have any incoming assignments. Hopefully he wouldn't be targeted by another psychopath before his next assignment. He was also meeting someone important to him.

As if on cue his phone on his bedside table began to vibrate. He saw the caller and picked it up eagerly.

“Ciel, you do remember that you are supposed to pick me up from the airport today?” The caller asked.

“Of course,” he replied. “Did you think I would forget?”

Three hours later Ciel was waiting outside Heathrow airport for the passengers of the 10:40 plane from Paris to get through security. The person he was waiting for was lucky that he liked them because he wouldn't put up with waiting in a busy place for anyone else. It was so busy that he couldn't pick out any individual thoughts.

A pair of hands covered his eyes. “Guess who?”

It was so busy that he hadn't heard the person he had been waiting for creep up on him. He removed their hands from his eyes and turned around and focused on their thoughts.

_Ciel looks tired. Has someone at university been bullying him? I hope he likes the sweets I bought for him. Maybe that will cheer him up._

They were as unselfish as usual. He didn't mind hearing their thoughts because they were always pure.

_If I find out that someone was mean to him, I'll challenge them to a duel._

Well, they were usually pure thoughts that wanted to protect him. Ciel smiled at the thought of his cousin fighting Sebastian with her foil.

“Lizzie, it’s good to see you. It's been quiet without you here.”

She beamed at him. _He missed me!_

He could feel her happiness radiating from her and took her hand in his and her suitcase in the other.

“I missed you,” he said and enjoyed listening to her mental response. Sebastian Michaelis was completely forgotten.

 


End file.
